The Wedding Ceremony
by fazy
Summary: Elrond and Haldir finally decide to go public and make their relationship official. What could possibly go wrong now? Possiblity of angst in later chapters.
1. Prologue aka The Now

Title: The Marraige Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Archive: Melethryn, ff,net LoM  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (somewhere in the 21st century)  
Warnings: slash. (duh)

* * *

The crowd was gathered in a neat semicircle around the garden complex, with the dearest of them all standing closest to the center. Elrond looked round. Yes, the dearest... but it wasn't them who captured his attention today. No, he wasn't of the circle. Not today. 

It was a simple ceremony that Elrond had conducted countless times... not exactly a wedding ceremony per se, but more of a ritual of confirmation. It was at once a declaration of commitment from both sides and a plea to the Valar to bless that declaration.

He could still remember the ceremonies he had conducted in Imladris so long ago. He could remember every single one. Back then, it would have been held close to nature: by the river and under the sighing boughs, and the whole of Imladris would have turned up to witness the ceremony.

And after that there would be feasting. Elrond could still remember sitting in his chair at the head of the table with the couple, watching the festivities. There we times he longed to join the fun, to immerse himself in a swirl of colour and bright lights, but always he had to remain at his post. He was the Lord of Imladris. He knew his place.

As did Haldir, though in a slightly different way. Unlike both Elrond and Galadriel, whose sense of duty compelled them to be part of the action while at the same time passively watching over it, Haldir's place was away from the noise and crowd. As marchwarden, his duty was to keep Lothlorien safe while the majority of the population was otherwise engaged. The ceremony was a special once, and the honour of witnessing one was not an opportunity to be missed.

And every time it was performed, the boarders of Lothlorien would be devoid of all but a few of it's elite Guardians. They had to be the elite. All the Guardians were elite. Haldir had made sure of it. For the duration of that one night, a single Guardian might have to take the place of thirty such watchers, and though there was an unofficial rotating roster for service during special occasions, the Marchwarden never got a night off to partake in the festivities.

And so Haldir was possibly the one elf who had never witnessed a ceremony in all his life. Even Elrond's seneschal had had the opportunity to sit in on one every now and again. 'But that wouldn't have been too suprising,' Haldir thought bitterly. After all, Elrond had been Glorfindel's lover back then, and the blonde eldar would surely have gotten all the concessions he demanded. Elrond would never dream of disobeying. Back then, Glorfindel had had Elrond under his thumb.

It was Haldir's first ever ceremony, and nervously, he glanced up at the dark haired elf beside him and bit his lip. But all traces of uncertaintly vanished when Elronds's eyes met his. The blonde could see the joy and serenity playing in those dark orbs, and together they shared a secret smile. Today was their day. Today it was them who stood facing Galadriel before the semi-circle. It was for them that the crowd had turned up for. Overhead, the clouds rolled by, candy-like wisps of cotton amidst a bright blue sky. It was promising to be a beautiful day.

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To Be Continued.... 

oh, and for a little bit of self-promotion, i've got a website archive which i'm working on. go to **www.fazyarchive.blogspot .com** for more of my works. Not everything's up though.. i'm still working on it. but it's getting there... slowly...


	2. The Great Unspeakable aka The Flashback

Title: The Marriage Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Archive: Melethryn, , LoM  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (somewhere in Scotland in the 21st century)  
Warnings: Slash.

* * *

Chapter 2

_Flashback to the morning of the ceremony_

It was almost too unfair. They had made love that morning, and Haldir didn't like it one bit. It had taken him that long to reach a state of abandonment, and just as soon as he broke free of the binds surrounding him, it was over and Elrond was left as little more than a steaming, panting heap sprawled over him. It was just too unfair.

Haldir clenched his teeth, anger and resentment building up inside him even as his eyes threatened to well up with tears. It was so unfair. How come _Elrond_ always found his pleasure? Choking on his bitterness, Haldir wriggled free and lay on his side with his back turned to the now puzzled lord.

"Haldir?" The peredhil's voice was still low and husky from their tryst. Low and slightly wavering, his eyes still dazed from completion. Haldir gritted his teeth.

"Haldir?" Elrond said again, forcing himself to focus. Forcing himself out of the hazy clouds of bliss that came with the uniting of the physical. "Is something wrong?" he pressed, concerned.

"Nothing," Haldir replied icily.

Elrond blinked at his lover's back, then bit his lip in worry. If he had somehow offended the blonde, he knew he would be in deep trouble. Especially now that the Lorien elf was ill and feeling especially vulnerable. Especially now that the helplessness and frustration, coupled with his temporary physical weakening was making him prone to tempestuous mood swings.

"Are you alright?" Elrond asked tentatively, and braced himself. Starting a conversation with Haldir when he was in that mood was like walking across a minefield-- you never knew when something might explode.

Haldir shrugged, and said nothing, and for awhile, Elrond pondered upon his next move.

"Are you..." Elrond trailed off, wondering how he could phrase his thoughts in the least offensive manner. "Did I hurt you?" he ventured, then winced. No matter what the words, the question was sure to settle wrongly. It made Haldir sound frail, and Elrond strong, and the marchwarden's harsh pride struck out against even the vaguest suggestion of weakness.

Haldir growled softly, a soft reverberation that issued from the back of his throat. Sitting up suddenly, he turned to Elrond. "No," he said curtly, his face just inches away from the peredhil's. "I'm perfectly fine," he snapped, and promptly lay down again and drew the covers angrily over his head.

For a long while, Elrond sat there, not quite knowing how to react. Worry and anxiety mingled with a soft loving concern, and yet... and yet... why was Haldir being so unreasonable, even after he had tried so hard?! Haldir's cold words hurt him, his even colder behavior stung him, and his own inability to do anything about the matter ripped him to shreds.

"Fine then," Elrond said at last. "If that's how you're going to be then fine." Sighing in frustration, he glanced at the clock. "It's almost noon," he said to the heap under the blanket.

No response.

"The guests will be coming soon."

Still no response, and Elrond was torn between wanting to pull at his own hair in frustration or just shake his head and sigh. He choose the former.

"Haldir," he said gently, climbing out of bed. He knelt facing what would have been Haldir's face beneath the covers and gingerly drew back the heavy folds of cloth. Haldir's large eyes blinked up at him mournfully. "Hervenn?" he crooned softly. Haldir dropped his eyes. "Come, Haldir, look at me..." he said softly. Slowly, the other's eyes rose to meet his.

"Come, melethron," Elrond said gently, with just a hint of rebuke. "Get dressed. Surely you're looking forward to today?"

And to Elrond's utmost dismay, Haldir shrugged and looked away miserably. A soft tear tricked down his cheek, soon to be joined by another of it's fellows as a dark stain on the plush bedding. To the peredhil, it was like seeing his worst fears confirmed. "Oh, Haldir..." he breathed. Stricken. Crushed. Heartbroken. "Haldir-nin..."

* * *

To Be Continued...

A/N: Thanks to those of you who pointed out I've been spelling Galadriel's name wrongly! I'm a little dyslexic, and that affects the way I read and spell, and unless it's actually pointed out to me, I usually can't see the difference between say, 'Rumil' and 'Rumli' they look exactly the same even when I squint hard! Honest! So that's two LoTR characters I've messed their names up for them. Poor darlings.

Anyway, a bit about the fic. **The one here is a very Nice version. Ie: no smut, and no mpreg. If you _do_ happen to want smut and _do_ happen to want mpreg, get the unabridged version from my homepage.** (linked from my ff. net site.) Go to LoTR Fanfiction, Msn Madness, Contents, Vignettes by fazy, The Ceremony. Sorry I cant give a direct link, ff. net keeps eating up direct links. growl and they delete stories. and we cant have smut. oh well. shrugs

Btw, i only just realised i didnt specify a setting for the fic. It takes place Somewhere In Scotland, Sometime In The 21st Century... yes, definitely AU. hehe.


	3. Nike Just Do It aka The Melodrma

Title: The Marraige Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Archive: Melethryn, , LoM.  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (21st century), slash.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Hervenn... don't you...," Elrond trailed off, downcast, but still Haldir lay there, staring blankly at the air before him. "Haldir..." Elrond pleaded. "Haldir, look at me... please...oh please... ai, Elbereth," he choked when the blonde still refused to respond. Defeated, the peredhil collapsed back on his haunches

"Are you ashamed of me?" he asked softly. "Haldir, tell me now. Are you ashamed of having me as your husband?" he sighed. "I mean, I suppose it's not too unexpected... I mean, you're Haldir... and I'm just a plain, stuffy, stunted, sorry excuse of a half-breed. I mean, why not right? You're... Haldir of Lorien... you have no end of admirers from both the sexes. You can have anyone and everyone you want. Why should you want a priggish, boring, ancient mongrel like myself. You're beautiful. You're popular. You have a reputation to keep up. Why won't you be ashamed of me..." he choked, fighting to keep his emotions in hand.

All unbidden, a traitorous a drop of moisture pooled in the corner of his eye, grew heavy with weight and slid silkily down his cheek, but before it could fall to the floor, it's passage was stopped by four long, lithe fingers.

Haldir drew his fingers away and stared numbly at the sticky dampness that coated it, then lay a finger on his lover's lips and closed his eyes. "Aeron..." he whispered in a pained voice. "Oh, please don't talk like that. Don't even think it. Please. You know it's not true."

At the mention of pet name, Elrond relaxed. Aeron. There was exactly one person in the entire history of the universe who could call him that and not get murdered, and gazing down at him, Elrond could not help the soft smile that spread itself across his face. And yet...

"Would you rather not?" Elrond asked uncertainly. "You know... um."

Haldir shrugged in a non-committal way. The look he wore said it all. They had already sent out the invites. And the guests would be arriving anytime now. There might be a handful who were already there, sipping champagne in the large white gazebo rented specially for the occasion. The two of them could hardly pull out now.

And reading Haldir's expression, Elrond wilted. "Is that... it?" he said quietly. "If you had a choice, you'd rather not?"

"I didn't say that."

"What then? What would you say if you had said something?"

"Nothing!"

"Then what?" Elrond cried, exasperated. "Haldir!"

Haldir looked away and sighed, partially in irritation and partially in an effort to clear his head. Did he truly want this? Of course he did! But... here? Now? Though they had been preparing for months, it still seemed too soon, too sudden.

"I'm sorry," Haldir said quietly. "I didn't mean that. I... it's just... well..."

"You're not sure?"

"No! Of course I'm sure! It's just that it's so fast," he said awkwardly, then sighed in relief when Elrond nodded in understanding. "It's just a bit unnerving, that's all. I guess I'm just nervous. I don't even know how the damn thing goes. What if I screw up? I've never even friggin seen it performed, and now I'm going to be THE person whom everyone's looking at?! What if I do something wrong? And what if... oh, I don't know...something happens. What if I cant hear what Lady G says or somebody says something and I don't know how to answer?"

Elrond smiled. "You'll be fine," he said, fondly. "You always are, somehow or other. You always pull through."

Haldir nodded and bit his lip, mentally psyching himself up for the challenge ahead. He glanced at the clock. Half-past twelve. The people should have started arriving now. "Alright," he said softly. "Lets do it."

* * *

To Be Continued...

A/N: Yessh... it's super mushy, isnt it? Mills and Boons romance? Lovey dovey? Sickeningly sweet and over-melodramatic? sometimes i make myself sick. Next chapter should be better. We have a Guest Appearance by a canon (ie: Orophin).

btw, in case ur expecting this to be like my other fics, this is going to be a relatively short, relatively plotless story. it's just a little au episode of Elrond and Haldir getting 'married'. should rightfully be just one long chapter, but i'm too lazy to type out everything at once, especially now that school's started. meh.

AREZAL: "she lives"?!? heheh. grinnz Hope you had fun camping.

HALDIRS HEART AND SOUL: well... technically, chappies 2 and 3 is really a whole big flashback scene to what happened in the morning before the curtains opened in chappie 1, so i didnt quite give them problems soon after... heheh. but there will be ONE problem in the future. muahahahhaaa...


	4. Nostalgia and Arguement aka Revisiting t...

Title: The Marraige Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Archive: Melethryn, , LoM.  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (21st century), slash.

* * *

Chapter 4 

Sighing briskly, Haldir rose and walked over to fetch his new suit. In a stroke of brilliance, Elrond had thought up the idea of having a theme party, and after quite a bit of thought, the two of them had settled upon the overall concept of a return to Middle Earth. The planning had been fun at first; drawing out draft designs for the invitation cards, hunting for suitably elvish decorations, finding the right flowers and decorative plants where the native plants of Middle Earth had died out.

And then about a month ago, Elrond had dug up his old tiara and suddenly all the differences in their rank and status had hit home. They had forgotten about it. It had been so long ago that the elven kingdoms was all but a distant dream in the shadows of their memory, and though Haldir had often teasingly referred to Elrond as '_hiren_', or 'my lord', the stark difference in their respective ranks had never really sunk in before.

And suddenly it was no longer just a game. It was real.

For the next few days, Haldir watched as various items of rank appeared on the dresser-- the tiara first, then the ceremonial robes, then the scepter, and the bands and jewels of office-- all remarkably preserved and maintained through the ages through the most select restorative processes money can buy.

It was like a slap in the face. The peredhil was not just a figure of authority way back in the previous Ages. Even now he was influential. Even now he played the secret game of politics that took place behind the politics of the real world. Even now he could buy and keep whole intelligence systems by means of backdoor funding.

Even now he held half the world in the palm of his hands.

And it was never so real as when Haldir saw him with those figures of office from days long past. All Haldir ever had was his ceremonial colours. It was grand, and it was good. And it was damn well respected. But at the end of the day, it was still just a uniform.

And it was gone.

For unlike the peredhil, Haldir had spent the longest time in the present Age living moderately, and whatever he had left from the old days had long since crumbled into dust despite his best attempts to care for them. Most people's had. Only a very select few had the means and the resources of Elrond.

Still, Haldir had been better off than an average elf whose natural skills had grown redundant in the rapidly changing world of Man, and it was only through the objectification of his body that the marchwarden could continue to maintain his lifestyle.

He was lucky, he supposed. Unlike many who lived a life of labour, Haldir could still enjoy the court life of the ancients. Right up till the civil wars, his experience as a warleader was invaluable to any political campaign, and his looks and charm won him the favour of any noble he choose to ensnare.

But all that changed with the fall of the monarchial systems. Suddenly democracy had become the call of the people. Court life came to an abrupt end, and the only thing left to do was to pack his bags for Hollywood to work as a social escort. There, at least, there was money to be made.

And now, he no longer needed to live in America to work for the stars; the stars came in search of him. So great was his reputation as a professional gigolo that he never needed to make an effort to get clients. Clients came to him by the droves.

He had slept his way to the top. Just like he had done in Lothlorien. Just like he had always done. _Not_ that he wasn't a good marchwarden. He was, truly he was. He was excellent at what he did. He was the best. He had worked his way up the ranks, true, but still... there were so many of them to compete with, and his military brilliance might not have been noticed quite so quickly had he not set out to catch the eye of the Lord and Lady. It made him sick just to think about it. All his life, he had never been anything but a celebrated slut.

Eventually Elrond had noticed the air of depression that hung about his lover, and although there was nothing he could do to change the past, he did have the means to sit down with Haldir and a tailor to produce an exact replica of the uniform the marchwarden had once been so proud of, the very same replica that was now draped carefully across the back of the sofa, still encased in it's plastic covering. Haldir picked it up gingerly, almost as if it might disintegrate at his slightest touch.

Quietly, reverently he got dressed, then turning around to face his lover, he stood straight and spread his arms out for Elrond's inspection. "So," he said nervously. "How do I look?"

"Stunning," came the reply. Haldir let out a sigh of relief. Well, that was one possible disaster down. As was his habit in times of high stress, he reached for a hairbrush. Elrond chucked at the implicit display of nerves, and yet... Haldir looked so beautiful as he ran the brush down his long blonde hair...

Elrond licked his lips and swallowed hard. Haldir was so beautiful...

Without realizing it, the peredhil rose to his feet and embraced his lover. Haldir chucked, but his amusement was cut short when he felt Elrond hardening against him. "No!" he squealed as he danced out of Elrond's reach. "Don't you _dare_ stain my nice new outfit!"

Elrond groaned at the anti-climax, and Haldir glared. "You are not going to spoil this for me, Aeron," he said quietly. "I'm already..." he said, then cast around uncertainly. "Already... well... worked up as it is. Jittery... Please. Don't make it worse." He wrung his hands distractedly, then bit his lip.

"Is Glory coming?" he asked suddenly.

"No!" Elrond barked. Haldir blinked.

"Ooookaaaayy..." he said, holding both hands up in a half-hearted attempt to placate."I was just asking," he retorted.

"Well then I just answered," Elrond replied coldly. "Why in all of damnation would I... I of all people, invite HIM?"

"Because," Haldir replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "he was your seneschal once. Because you were friends once."

"Yes, once, and that was a long time ago. Now can we please not talk about him? Please? Thank you."

"You know, I really don't see how you can just shut him out of your life like that," Haldir sighed, throwing his arms into the air. "He was your life. He was your love--"

"-- WAS! Was, in the past tense. Was. Is no longer. Haldir, I love you, he is nothing--"

"How can you just gloss over and try to pretend he never existed?"

"Trust me, if you had been through what I did you would try to forget it ever existed."

"So if one day you just woke up and decided you don't love me anymore, is that how you're going to do it? Pretend I don't exist? Pretend all this doesn't exist? Is that it?" he cried, then sat down tiredly on the settee. "Are you going to hate me? Loathe me? Is that how you're going to look back on this? On us?"

They had had this conversation before. It wasn't the first time.

"No, melethron," Elrond sighed. "You know it's different."

"How!" Haldir demanded sulkily, even though he already knew the answer. It was a charade that went on again and again in the course of their relationship.

"I... I... he abused me. You know that. Haldir, I know you know that. He took advantage of me. He pretended to be my friend, he pretended to care about me but he lied to me. He didn't care at all about anything but himself."

"You say that as if it were gospel truth," Haldir sighed.

"It is. You know it is. The bastard--" he paused, biting off his words. For awhile, Haldir watched as the peredhil fought to overcome his emotions, watched as first horror, then dread, then loathing and disgust stained the Noldor's beautiful features. "I cannot forget," he managed at last. "I cannot forget all that he did to me... I wish I could..." he said faintly, and closed his eyes. "Just forget... just... forget..." he breathed. "But I cannot. I can still feel him in my flesh... so vividly... I can still remember the... the... things... he put me through... forced upon--" but here, again, Elrond cut himself off.

"No," he said at last. "No, Haldir. As long as I have the faculty of sense about me I cannot forget. And as long as I remember, I cannot forgive him that. He used me. Callously and maliciously for his own..." He closed his eyes and sighed wearily.

"He loved you once, hiren," Haldir sighed. "In all your bitterness you forget that one point. He loved you once, and you loved him. And even if it did go bad between you there's really no need to overreact that way."

"I'm not overreacting, melethron. You don't know him like I do. If he even knew about this he'll stop at nothing to ruin it for me. You don't know him, Haldir."

Haldir rolled his eyes and sighed. "But-he-wont-be-here-cos-I-asked-Lady-G-to-have-a-word-with-him-and-just-about-now-he-should-be-halfway-to-Africa-on-a-job-attachment-which-is-going-to-last-the-whole-of-two-weeks-so-we-can-at-least-have-that-much-peace-and-tranquility-before-Mr-Balrog-Reincarnated-gets-back-to-the-UK-and-hatches-his-evil-conspiracy-plan-to-dominate-and-conqour-the-world," he chanted in a singsong voice.

"Lady G? Since when did he get marrie-- oh, you mean Lady G for Galadriel. Ah. Right. Well, if you knew that then why did you even bring it up in the first place?" Elrond sighed, exasperated.

"Because... because... well, I don't know why because! I'm just jittery, that's all. Excuse me while I go make a fool of myself somewhere else then!" he huffed as he made for the doorway. "And get friggin dressed. It's friggin twenty past! Half the friggin guests would be friggin here by now. I'm going to see if Oro's here yet. I'll meet you downstairs," he said as he disappeared around a bend in the corridor.

Elrond sighed tiredly. What a morning. If this went on he'd have grown a head full of white hair by sundown. From the banister stairs, Haldir's voice drifted upwards to the bedroom.

"And hurry up!" the blonde called. "Don't you dare keep us all waiting!"

* * *

_To be continued..._

Hey guys, sorry it took so long. School's started, and i have to write between assignments. I tried to get on monday evening to post, but i just couldnt log in. Server overload apparently. meh. And i havent been able to get to a com till now.

another thing: orophin's obviously not here. i really should stop promising stuff in chappies _before _i write them cos they never turn out as planned. Silly buggers keep going on and on, playing out their own lives with no regard for what i want them to do. believe you me, this chapter wrote itself out. (i've started chappie 5 tho, and i assure you things are starting to move forward. And yes, bro is waiting downstairs. hee.)

btw... anyone has any good names for a female elf that might have been one of those serving women back in lothlorien? cos tolkien has not enuf female canons to go round, and i really need a she-elf to stand in, and neither arwen nor galadriel would work cos they're both in some form related to either Elrond or Haldir. besides, arwen and galadirial have their own private drama, tho whether they deign to share it in this fic is throughly up to them. =P

HALDIRS HEART AND SOUL: erm... weeeeeelll.... depends. Have you ever read Bagenders? (you should!) Well, if you have (and you should have!!) you'd know that there is this secret elf organization called BADGER (ie: Galadrial and gang) who is slightly opposed (understatement) to Elrond's lifestyle. In the little AU which my beta and i work in, Haldir (not Bagenders Haldir, our Haldir-The-Celebrated-Slut) was sent by BADGER to infiltrate Elrond's (also not Bagenders Elrond, our Act-Tough-But-Actually-Insecure Elrond)'s home and keep him in check my any means nessisary (ie: seduce the peredhil!). Anyway, the story is that over the course of some decades Haldir somehow went from pretending to like Elrond to really liking him. You can get the pre-wedding vignettes on my blogger website. A good one for what's been going on just before this is 'In The Librabry'. (homepage, lotr fanfiction, msn madness, vignettes by fazy, In The Library.) and 'Sunrise' (homepage, lotr fanfiction, msn madness, vignettes by fazy, Sunrise.) -- note tho, Sunrise is incomplete, so if you think the ending's abrupt it's cos it's not finished yet.

CELEBRIAN: Oh really? Um... oh, the link was down once, i spelt it wrongly, and even after i corrected it it still took some days for ff,net to register the changes. It should be fine now, hopefully. i can access the link no problem. C",)

RIPPER101: hehe. oh well... maybe it's a typo... people make typos all the time... lalalallalaaaa.... grinz. about backgrounds, i tried to go into it a little in this chappie, but there's still a lot of blanks which i'll be trying to fill in as we go along. About the history of the 'courtship', i gave Haldir's Heart And Soul a little short summary of how it happened. For more Evil Glorfindel, try Conspiracy Theory. (homepage, lotr fanfiction, msn madness, vignettes by fazy, Conspiracy Theory.) Or for more Evil Glorfindel's Elrond Abuse go to my homepage, Sexual Fantasies (homepage, lotr fanfiction, msn madness, vignettes by fazy, Sexual Fantasies).

AREZAL: yeah, i know what you mean. i have this one friend who's kid sister gets on my nerves. she's spoilt rotten, and oh so arrogant. and she demands attention, and the rest of the world must make way for her, it doesnt matter _what _we are doing or how important it is, if she wants something she's going to get it. (oh, er... what's smol and ttyl?... blush)

hugs, fazy


	5. And So It Begins aka Back To The Future

Title: The Marriage Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Archive: Melethryn, ff,net LoM  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (somewhere in the 21st century)  
Warnings: slash. (duh)

/ ... / stands for thought speak. But you guys already know that, dont you. ;D

_

* * *

_

Somehow they made it to the ceremony unscathed. Elrond had gotten himself dressed in his best (and original! Don't for get original!) Imladris robes, and once he was satisfied with his appearance, left the bedroom and swept down the steps that led to the main hall. There he found two of the three brothers leaning against a pillar while sharing a bag of chips. Two young girls ran past screaming in delight- Orophin's children, only to be chased down and have their crisp, pink dressed straightened down by his wife.

"Oro, Lin," Elrond said, nodding a greeting to his new in-laws. "Where's Rumil?"

"Oh, Ru can't make it," Haldir said airily, though Elrond could tell by the tightness of his lover's throat that Haldir was hurt. "He was never coming in the first place. He couldn't get leave from work."

"Yeah," Orophin joined in, sniggering. "He tried to sneak an MC today to get sick leave, but the flight in was overbooked and the next one comes in the day after tomorrow so he ended up back in the office again."

Haldir laughed. "Poor Ru. Nothing ever goes right for him, does it?"

And although Elrond was still slightly uncomfortable making small talk with the rest of Haldir's family, the mildness and insipidness of the chatter was almost pleasurable considering the circumstances. At least Orophin and his wife kept the two of them sane. At least it gave them something to do, some outlet to release their pent-up energy. It was better than being at each other's throats, at any rate.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a bit of a daze. There was a hazy recollection of being mobbed by a surprising number of well-wishers-- he never knew there were so many elves left that he had not made enemies with-- and a thoroughly embarrassing moment where he and Haldir shared a quick kiss which turned into a rather drawn out one, thoroughly forgetting the number of eyes that were fixed on them that day. They had broken away amidst the cheering of the crowed, and he thought he had caught a short glimpse of Gandalf making obscene hand gestures. And although he had expected Haldir to languish in the attention showered upon him, the blonde had surprisingly blushed scarlet and gazed modestly down, shuffling his feet and looking like he whished the ground would swallow him up.

What in the world had gotten into his lover today? Never in all his years had he seen the march warden so shy!

But there was something odd about Haldir, truly. He seemed so jittery of late, so unsure, so timid, so insecure, so unlike the hardened warrior Elrond knew him to be. Elrond spoke to him telepathically. /Hervenn, are you alright?/ he asked, concerned. Haldir's head snapped up. He looked almost… fearful. /You are not yourself, melethron,/ he said again.

/I know,/ Haldir replied: although the Lorien elf had absolutely no telepathic abilities, the two had spent so much time in each other's company that Elrond was now able to pick up any of Haldir's thoughts that were directed to him. All the blonde needed to do was to think them and the words would sound in his lover's head. /I don't know what's wrong. I suppose I'm just nervous. It just feels so odd. It's scary. All these _people!/_

/Hey, I thought you liked people. You love parties./

/Yes, so long as they're not held for _me_!!! I feel like everyone's gawking at me! It's so stressful! I _hate _it!/

/Well, that's the whole point, silly,/ Elrond grinned, and although Haldir smiled in return, he paled once more when Galadriel beckoned to them. Already the guests were starting to make their way to the terraced rose garden, a raised platform of earth encased by a ring of that special breed of rose symbolic of their relationship. Elrond had created the hybrid half by accident a few years before, and they had always thought of it as their special rose since then. They were to have their ceremony there, amidst the flowers they thought of as their own.

"It's time," he whispered hoarsely. Elrond nodded and reached out to help him up, but Haldir just sat staring blankly at the outstretched hand. "Aeron? I'm scared?" he said quietly.

"Well," Elrond licked his lips, psyching himself up, "I'm not." he said. Haldir looked at him searchingly.

"You _sure?_" he said worriedly.

"Yes," he said, nodded his head. He took a deep breath. "I've been wanting this for this for a long time. Yes," he said, nodding again. "I'm sure. Yes."

Haldir grinned trustfully. "Really?" he smiled.

"Really."

"Lets go."

Elrond laughed. "And it's about time too!" he chucked. Haldir looked around. They were the only ones left in the tent. "Come on."

Hurriedly, they made their way to the terrace where everyone was waiting, and from her place out front, Galadriel raised an eyebrow. /Really, you two,/ she chided teasingly in the privacy of their minds, and although Haldir winked conspiratorially at her, Elrond did not share their intimacy of long friendship. For him, she had always been the mother-in-law that he had failed by allowing Celebrian succumb to her injuries. And now, eons afterwards he was once again about to tie himself to another of her own. When Haldir had insisted on her being given a personal invite, Elrond had all but freaked out.

"What?!" he cried in disbelief, choking on his morning coffee. "We don't even like _each other. We work for opposite sides of the political arena. She's my rival," he protested but Haldir had been adamant._

"She took us in, Elrond, my brothers and I. She cared for us, she gave us a place to stay. She looked out for us. She's not just my Lady -- and she deserves a personal invite based on that consideration alone-- she's also the closest thing I have to a guardian. She's practically my adoptive mother.

"Oh, great. As if it weren't awkward enough without bringing that _in as well. _Now _what am I supposed to say to her? --'Er… hi ex-mom-in-law? Remember your daughter? The one that died because I wasn't careful enough? Guess what, I've gotten over her and I'm married again. Oh, and you do realize that would make you my mom-in-law squared, don't you? Incidentally, since there isn't anyone else, can you carry out the ceremony? You know, cos everyone else who _can _do it hates me to my guts?' -- No way, Haldir. She'll never buy it. Nuhuh, no way, no how. Forget it. It's not happening."_

And Haldir had sipped his coffee very coolly and glared at him over the rim of the cup, before setting it down and dabbing the napkin to his lips. "She's Galadriel, Aeron," he said, his voice as hard and unbending as cold steel. "I owe her that much."

And that was that. How could Elrond argue with that? He had allowed himself to be dragged to tea and endure the humiliation as Haldir first joked and laughed with his nemesis, then brought up the matter of the invite, and then listen to them make plans for the occasion together.

And so now, today, she was standing before them in her white crystal dress reciting her designated lines while cheekily carrying on a private conversation with them in her head. Elrond shot her one of his patented death glares in a faint hope of shutting her up, but it only made her eyes sparkle all the brighter. Late for your own ceremony? I'd have thought better of you! she laughed in their minds. But she did stop after that. Playful as she was, the ceremony was too sacred to be made light of.

During a break between her Sindarin speech, she turned to the guests and beamed down at them. "We are here to witness the declaration of their commitment for each other," she said in English for the benefit of the handful who did not speak elvish. "It is not quite marriage in your conventional sense, for they already share that sacred bond. This is more a declaration of loyalty--"

"Yeah. Right. Slut." There was the sound of skeptical laughter, quickly cut short.

"--of love and of commitment for each other, that from now on…" although Galadriel simply glared sternly at the direction of the sound and carried on unfazed, the laughter had been like a slap to the face to Haldir, and her subsequent words were lost to him.

Slut.

Someone had called him that.

Slut.

Someone had doubted his ability to remain loyal.

Slut.

Someone had mocked him. Someone had laughed. Many had laughed. Even now, he could still feel the laughter ringing cruelly in his ears.

Slut.

Perhaps they were right. They _were _right. He truly was a slut, a horrible, dirty, disgusting slut. He was nothing but a slut, always was, always will be, he would never be more than a celebrated slut. The words echoed in his mind.

Slut

Slut

Slut

_Slut!_

He felt his breath grow faint. There was something weighing on his throat, cutting off his breathing air. His chest hurt.

Slut.

No, he wasn't! He wasn't! Not anymore! He'd given it up! He'd given it up!

SLUT.

He wasn't! He wasn't! Not anymore! He'd given it up! He'd given it up! He had, truly he had, he HAD! It had upset Elrond, and made Elrond unhappy, and he had given it up forever, he had promised he'd give it up forever, he had, he had!

He _**HAD!**_

_Slut._

Haldir staggered backwards, his eyes wild and fearful. He did not hear Elrond calling his name in concern, or Galadriel reaching out to calm him down; all he saw in his mind was the mockery in people's faces as they bore down on him, all he heard was their scornful chants and wicked laughter. Gasping wildly, he broke free of Elrond's worried grasp and made a desperate dash towards the house.

* * *

_To be continued..._

jeng Jeng JENG!!!!

hey guys! sorry the update took so long! many apologies!!!! i lost most of the original chapter 5 during the virtual renovation, so i had to practically re-write the whole thing. i think it's better now though, so perhaps having half the file ('the rest of the afternoon passed in a bit of a daze' onwards) vanish on me was a good thing. originally there was quite a bit about Galadriel and Celeborn having a tempestuous relationship but it's been replaced with some Haldir drama, which is, i think, much more relevant to the story.

and i know i'm giving them a hard time. it gets better from here... promise...


	6. A Closet Case aka The One Where Things G...

Title: The Marriage Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (somewhere in the 21st century)  
Warnings: slash. (duh)

/ ... / stands for thought speak. But you guys already know that, dont you. ;D

* * *

/Haldir!... / Elrond cried out after the blonde's retreating figure. /HALDIR!/ Ai, Elbereth, why did that elf have to be so emotional? /HAL-DIR!/ But it was no use. He had broken away from the group and even now was disappearing through the doors of the main building. Raising his eyes to the heavens to bear witness to his plight, the former lord of Imladris hitched up his robes and trotted resignedly after his runaway lover. 

Haldir was not in the living room, but then again, that was to be expected. The elf was upset. Some complete _bastard_ had mocked Haldir to his face. Sure, the Sindar did have a reputation for being quite the predator, but it had been some time now since he had given up that lifestyle. But he was upset, and it was not likely that he would have perched himself in plain view of any Random Guest who might happen to wander in. Signing again at the odd twist of fate, Elrond made his way up the heavy oak stairs.

Haldir was not in the bedroom either. Nor was he in the study, the lounge, the bathroom, the billiard room, the kitchens, the servants common room, or any of the other places the Elrond tried. Defeated, he made his way back to their shared bedroom and sank dispiritedly into the soft bedding.

"Where in manwe's arse could that damned marchwarden be?" he hissed, just as Orphin popped his head through the door.

"Any luck?" the Guardian asked.

"None at all. I've looked everywhere. Honestly, I'm at my wits end!"

Orophin pulled a face. "Try the cupboard," he said simply and vanished down the hallway.

Cupboard? Cupboard?! Elrond frowned in disapproval at Orophin's suggestion. Who in their right mind would hide in a cupboard. Oh well, it never hurt to try. Besides, he had tried everything and Oro _was _Haldir's brother... so technically speaking, Oro _should _know him better than Elrond did...

Sighing deeply, Elrond made his way to the cupboard and threw the doors open. Haldir blinked back at him, heartbroken. "Damned marchwarden?" he choked faintly, his face deathly pale. "_Damned marchwarden?_ 'Where in manwe's arse could that damned marchwarden be?'" he quoted weakly back.

Inwardly, Elrond cursed his ill luck. "I didn't mean it that way," he whispered, kicking himself for his carelessness. Haldir merely nodded dejectedly, almost as if he had not the strength left to protest. "Haldir?" he asked in concern. The Sindar was slumped weakly against the cupboard walls. "Haldir, are you alright?" he pressed again. "Come on, hervenn, speak to me.."

"Oro told you where to find me," he said weakly. "You cheated."

"He did," Elrond admitted. "I was worried, Haldir-nin. I didn't know where else to look."

Slowly, painfully, Haldir turned to face him. "How long have we been living together?" he said, his voice soft and lifeless as a single tear slid down his cheek. And Elrond did not know how to answer. Instead, he knelt gently beside Haldir and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Haldir, get out of the cupboard," he coaxed unsuccessfully. "Haldir..." he sighed again, but Haldir seemed not to hear. Elrond bit his lip to stop himself saying something nasty. Honestly, Haldir could be such a child at times! "I was worried about you," he said tiredly. "Haldir, what's wrong. Why did you run off like that?"

Haldir shrugged and stared blankly ahead for a long time, weeping silent tears. "Didn't you hear?" he said at last. "They called me a slut. Don't you get it?" he choked. "That's all I am, Elrond. I'm just a bloody... freaking.... slut."

"No, meleth--"

"--That's all I am, and that's all I ever will be. Don't you understand? I cant be your husband... I'm just a slut. I don't deserve this," he said looking around. "Any of this," he said quietly. "I don't deserve you. I'm just a whore.

"Lets just go on as usual," he continued softly, his voice unnaturally tight and shrill. "You know, go on normally. I'll just continue to be your entertainment. I don't mind being your plaything. And when you get tired of me I'll just move on. But at least for a time... I can pretend that..." he broke off and swallowed hard, unable to say the words that were on his mind.

"But you don't have to commit yourself to me. I have no right to tie you down like that. I'm nobody, Elrond. I'm just a common whore. What right does a degenerate have over a respectable elf like you?"

"Haldir..." Elrond sighed sadly. "You're not a... degenerate. You're not. You don't do that anymore. You've put it in the past. It's over. It's not you."

"But they--" he protested.

"They don't know anything." Elrond said, taking both Haldir's hands in his. "They have no idea how difficult it's been for you. They don't know you like I do. They don't know you've changed. You're not the same person anymore. You've put it behind you. And they have no idea how... completely... I am in... love... with you."

Haldir looked up at him, teary-eyed. "Really?" he said in a small voice.

"Really. Hervenn... I love you. I want this. I want to be yours, and have the whole world acknowledge... that I am. I'm not ashamed of you. I want you with me... and I want you... forever." At that, Elrond sighed and looked away. "Or at least, for as long as you will have me. If you wanted.... If you... didn't want me anymore, I would not force you to stay."

Haldir stifled a soft gasp. "No," he breathed. "Never," he said, tearing up again. "I love you. I'll never stop loving you. I am... completely... at... your... disposal."

"Disposal!" Elrond cried, laughing nervously. "What a world!"

"No, no!" Haldir laughed anxiously in return. "I didn't mean it like that! It was... it was a... a...." but here he stopped, unable to continue as both elves roared with laughter, their mutual desperation making them lightheaded and hysterical. When at last they recovered their composure, the tension was gone.

* * *

A/N: hey ya'll! sorry the fic's been on hold for so long... i never had the motivation to continue... okay, okay, i lie. i've just been plain lazy. but there's nothing like procrastinating a lit term paper that can kickstart a dormant fic. heheh. i'm in the middle of posting another haldir/elrond fic at the moment. it's called Whispers of The Mind. unlike this fic which is _meant _to be fluffy and romantic (really! it is! honest! well... i did say _was _and _meant. _haha.) Whispers is a darkfic. it's meant to be really depressing, and might end with one or more character deaths. i should be picking up The Marriage Ceremony again, now that i've got this chappie up. i have a happy, fluffy ending in mind for TMC and i'm soooo eager to get it over and done with so i can get on with my life! lolx!

hugs,

fazy


	7. The One Where They Make Up

Title: The Marriage Ceremony  
Author: fazy  
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.  
Genre: AU (somewhere in the 21st century)  
Warnings: slash. (duh)

/ ... / stands for thought speak. But you guys already know that, dont you. ;D

* * *

Neither of them knew how long they sat there in the cupboard, arms entwined and whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. It was as if the dark spell of the morning was broken, and they were once more able to breathe freely again, or perhaps a new spell had been cast over them, an enchantment sweeter than the sweetest spring water and just equally as magical. Immersed as they were in a garden of breathy sighs and tender caresses, both their eyes sparkled with joy and adoration, until even the cupboard grew too small to house their love until eventually the two settled down once more beneath their nightly duvet. 

Out in the hallway, Orophin breathed a sigh of relief. He was no stranger to how volatile the relationship was, and how devastating their quarrels could be. Seeing them cuddling in bed like a pair of lovesick adolescents, he smiled and shook his head. It never ceased to amaze him how smitten his brother was with the dark-haired Noldor, or how the initial new-nes of the relationship had never faded with time. Even now, they worried that they were not good enough for the other. Even now, the idea that the other might just be toying with them was a constant anxiety, and that their happiness was too good to be true. It was as if they were living a dream, and even now, even after five hundred years of loving each other, each was haunted by a mortal terror that they might some day wake up.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, he stationed himself at the top of the stairs, and when the first of the stragglers trickled in, he was ready. Only those guests most dear to the couple would presume to enter the private wing of the mansion, and being their nearest and dearest, they would also be the most understanding of the situation. Let them entertain themselves in the nearby sitting room. Surely they would not begrudge the lovers their moment of privacy?

As it was, Orophin need not have worried. Elrond had been so elusive for the most part of the Age that the only his three children had come to seek him out, and although Haldir had an endless list of casual acquaintances, the only people he admitted into his private sphere were those he thought of as family; his brothers, their partners, Orophin's two children and his beloved lady Galadrial.

After awhile, when Orophin thought it might be safe, he tapped timidly at the heavy oak door and pressed his ear to the smooth wooden surface. He heard Elrond stiffle a groan, caught the faintest suggestion of Haldir's teasing laugh, and then heard Elond's telepathic voice, grudgingly giving him entry. Chuckling, he pushed open the door.

"Sorry," Orophin said, apologising for the fiasco earlier on. "We caught the shithole with the mouth though. Beat him up nice and proper," he continued, grinning lopsidedly.

Sighing softly, Haldir shook his head and sat up, allowing the covers to fall from his body, brazenly expose his nakedness. But Orophin was used to this by now. They all were. Everybody knew how nautrally it came to Haldir, that he had never had any reason to be ashamed of his body.

Elrond on the other hand was as self-conscious as ever. Blushing, he drew the duvet up to his chin, and gazed longingly at the pile of discarded clothes strewn across the floor.

"No you didn't," Haldir said quietly. "I know who it was. And I know you would never hurt him. You could never lay a finger on an old flame of mine."

Orophin sat down at the edge of the bed, glowering, and handed Elrond the cotton tunic he had worn as an undershirt earlier that day. "Nobody messes with my brother," he growled as the Noldor struggled thankfully into the rumpled garment.

"I'm the eldest," Haldir retorted, arching his eyebrows in mock arrogance. "And that's supposed to be my line, not yours."

"But it is your line, dear brother, it is," Orophin replied in the same. "I simply borrowed it for awhile," he finished, then laughed when Haldir swatted him playfully with a pillow.

Hearing the chatter, the rest of the family circle drew close, and looking up, Haldir beckoned them in. It felt good to have his most trusted friends about, surrounding them both, encasing them in a soft coccoon of their love. Here he could breathe again. Here he would not be judged and despised.

TBC...

* * *

heh. one last chapter to go. well, actually this was supposed to be the last chapter, but i got stuck a bit, and then i realised it was because there is a break here. anywaysies, if all goes well, there will be one final chapter after this... and a happy ending.

btw, if anyone's still following this, i greatly apologise for not updating. i had kinda given up on the fic, but i've been in a Revise-And-Rework mood lately and it seems that finally my abandoned fics are getting edited or completed. so sorry for disappearing for so long, and thanks so much for still sticking around.

hugs, fazy


End file.
